Month: August 2025
Dr. James Dobson
I get news blurbs in my inbox every morning and I was very sad today to learn of the passing of Dr. Dobson today, at the age of 89. The founder of Focus on the Family and the Dobson Family Institute, he was an icon of fatherhood, manhood, parenting in general and raising children with Godly standards. Many years ago, when I visited Colorado Springs, I visited the Focus on the Family visitor’s center there. Like Dr. Dobson, it was centered around families, fun and laughter.
My deep condolences go to his family, friends, co-workers and all who were touched by his ministry. His legacy will live on, even as he lives eternally with the Father. Rest in Peace, Dr. Dobson. We will miss your wisdom and stalwart defense of the Lord.
Need Wisdom
A few weeks ago, the pastor at the church we attend said at the beginning of the service that there would be a “big announcement” at the end of the service. No one that I know about expected the big announcement that came. The pastor and elders announced that our church is considering a merger with another local church and we will be having town hall meetings to discuss what this will mean for Compass Christian Church. Our church has about 1200 attending on Sundays, in four services starting at 8 a.m and the last one at 4:30 p.m. A few years ago we went through a big renovation, building an auditorium for the kids’ ministry and adding classrooms and parking spaces. Now, a merger? The church they are considering merging with is also a large church, with over 1000 attending two different services on Sundays mornings. My husband drove me by there after church so that I could see the facilities and it is huge with a “campus” with various buildings for their various activities. When I looked up the other church online, I found some information about their numbers, but I don’t really know much about it. So, now the hard part. Do we stay with Compass if they merge next spring or do we start looking for a new church?
The photo that goes with this scripture on the YouVersion App is perfect for how I am feeling now, like I am on the edge of a precipice looking down into a small pool of water and I have no idea if jumping is a good idea or not.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I do not like change, of any kind or at any time. I am one who thrives on routine and sameness. God has moved me out of my comfort zone several times, but generally, He would nudge me and let me know that change would be coming so I should be prepared for it. This new scenario of a merger hit me like a brick falling unexpectedly on my head. All kinds of “what ifs” are floating around inside that brain of mine.
My first inclination is to say that we need to find a new church. I have been unhappy with the music ministry at Compass for a while. It is so loud that I have to wear noise canceling headphones and at times have had to leave the service and sit in an annex to watch on a screen since the music affects my brain (a side effect of my stroke is that I cannot tolerate loud bass or percussion). So, what would the music be like in a church that is even larger, a mega church, so to speak with a combined membership of over 2000? I have no way of knowing, but that is a concern. So, as I said, my first inclination is to find a new church.
But it is hard to leave the familiar friends and the Sunday school class teachers and classmates behind. It is difficult to contemplate what the women’s ministry for those of us over fifty would be like. What programs will the combined church offer that will be different than what we have now? So many questions and no answers yet. Thus I am left to ponder and pray.
My husband, the extrovert extraordinaire, would be perfectly happy in a mega church with thousands of strangers all around him. I am an introvert with a bad case of shyness and borderline agoraphobia, so the idea of an enormous church with lots of people makes me anxious. God has an answer for my anxiety in that He can and will and is giving me peace. But, what is the solution? I just don’t know. The merger is not a done deal and may never happen, although it sounds a lot like the decision has already been made, the pastors assured us this past Sunday that this is not the case.
I would appreciate your prayers and my husband and I consider what we should do. We are happy at Compass, after getting used to about 400 in the service and finding our niche in various small groups and classes. Can we find another place to belong where we will feel welcomed and comfortable? Maybe, maybe not. And therein lies the problem.
VANISHED: Read an Excerpt + Enter to Win
About the Book
Title: Vanished
Series: The Vanished Series #1
Author: Dr. David Jeremiah with Sam O’Neal
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: June 30, 2025
Genre: Christian Fiction
New York Times bestselling author Dr. David Jeremiah’s theological insights are already valued by millions of readers. Now he brings that same depth to novels that explore the end of the world…
As leader of a special military unit charged with stopping potential pandemics before they spread, John “Haggs” Haggerty has a front-row seat to the sharp increase in natural disasters that precede the Rapture–including plagues, earthquakes, famines, wars, and rumors of war. And each crisis is becoming more intense.
Meanwhile, his own world feels like it’s falling apart. He’s still caught in the grief of messing up his relationship with his ex-wife, and he’s trying to keep it together so that he can show up for his adult daughter before she wants him out of her life entirely. As both personal and professional situations push him to the brink, Haggs finds himself stretched further than ever in his desire to be the kind of good person he knows he should be.
Just when it seems as if things might turn around, Haggs is forced to decide between his need to find solutions and his need for personal redemption.
Vanished is Left Behind for a new generation–apocalyptic action and emotion that’s infused with Dr. Jeremiah’s perspective and compassion.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | DavidJeremiah.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub
Book Excerpt
“I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to hear what we’ve heard today without coming to the conclusion that our world is in trouble. I don’t mean our culture. I don’t mean our way of life. I mean our civilization. We are currently experiencing something unprecedented not only in our lifetimes, but seemingly in human history. An extraordinary rise in seismic activity, catastrophic storms, and flooding. An extraordinary increase in regional epidemics and global pandemics. An extraordinary surge in famines and food insecurity across multiple continents. And an extraordinary flood of refugees seeking shelter and finding none.
“There is no doubt that many of these crises can be seen as the avoidable consequences of our own actions as a civilization.” She glanced over at Singh, then away. “But there is also little doubt in my mind that we are facing calamity at a scale we have never before considered. Ladies and gentlemen . . .” She paused as she scanned the room. “I am not exaggerating when I say the world is in danger. Humanity is in danger. But I am also not exaggerating when I declare that those of us in this room are equipped to meet that calamity head-on—and to steer our world to victory.
“We’re at a tipping point, and I believe the actions taken by our five task forces over the next twelve months will determine whether humanity advances to our destiny—or retreats into oblivion. So, let’s go save the world.”
Readers can also download the first 4 chapters of the book for free here: https://www.davidjeremiah.org/resources/vanished
About the Author
Dr. David Jeremiah is the founder of Turning Point, an international ministry committed to providing Christians with sound Bible teaching through radio and television, the Internet, live events, and resource materials and books. He is the author of more than fifty books, including The Book of Signs, The Great Disappearance, Where Do We Go from Here? and The Coming Golden Age.
Dr. Jeremiah serves as the senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California. He and his wife, Donna, have four children and twelve grandchildren.
Connect with Dr. Jeremiah by visiting davidjeremiah.org to follow him on social media and sign up for email updates.
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Tour Giveaway
(3) winners will each receive a signed copy of Vanished, an NIV Jeremiah Study Bible, and a Dr. David Jeremiah Daily Devotional “Living in His Light!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 18, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 25, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No shipping restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Review: THE BITTER END BIRDING SOCIETY by Amanda Cox
About the Book
Hometown hero Ana Leigh Watkins ventures to Bitter End, Tennessee, to help her great-aunt prepare for retirement. A town called Bitter End seems an ironic place for Ana to refresh her weary spirit, but she’s desperate for respite from the attention and unwarranted admiration of her community. While on a hike in Roan Mountain, a ragtag group of amateur bird-watchers takes her under their wing—a little against her will. However, she quickly warms to these genuine souls seeking solace in the great outdoors.
But when Ana’s adventures in Bitter End lead her to a severed branch of her family tree—one that involves the forbidden love between a moonshiner’s daughter and a preacher’s son—what began as a getaway to help her great-aunt becomes a transformative journey that binds together two women who, though they live on the same street, have been estranged for sixty years.
Book Details
ISBN-13:9780800746612 Publisher:Baker Publishing Group Publication date:08/19/2025 Pages:336
My Thoughts
This story was completely engrossing, with a plot that presented an extremely powerful story of estranged family members and individuals with pasts that needed to be overcome before they could move forward to a more promising future. Ana is a kindergarten teacher who had a terrible encounter with evil that has kept her from thinking that she can ever again be an effective teacher. Ana takes the opportunity to escape her current reality to go to a small town where her Aunt Cora lives. Cora has asked Ana to come help her pack up and get ready to move into a new home, and Ana is happy to be able to help someone as well as to hopefully escape her memories of the past. Once in Bitter End, Ana meets up with a rag-tag bunch of people who form the local birding society under the leadership of her Aunt Marilyn. The relationships between the people in this group form the foundation of the story as they explore not only the woods and record the birds that they see, but they also explore their own feelings of inadequacy and support each other in being willing to step out into an unknown future. I think that this book was a delight to read and I got invested in the lives of each character, my favorite one being Sam, the shepherd who is like a lost sheep himself. I loved the multi-generational element of the story, with its dual timeline and backstory about characters who aren’t present physically but who affect the current stories of the characters in imaginative ways. The rich, descriptive details of the setting and the birds that the group discover gave the story a high sense of believability as well as forming a wonderful setting for the intricate plot threads that were so well woven together. Infused with spiritual truth and enriched with authentic details, the entire book was a pleasure to read and I was sad to see it end although the conclusion was more than satisfactory. It was a heart-warming and thought-provoking story that everyone who is questioning a past choice or decision needs to read.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I also purchased my own copy since I collect the books by this author. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Purchase Links
bit.ly/4kVJJtq (Baker Book House)
bit.ly/45Z9gNu (Christian Book)
bit.ly/3FKtEHF (Barnes and Noble)
amzn.to/40PTocT (AMZ)
bit.ly/3JjFZDM (Target)
https://adbl.co/47iQRMd (Audible)
A Pilgrimage
A Journey with God
Following God is a journey.
It’s not just a one-time decision. It’s a lifelong pilgrimage, a day-by-day walk of trust, transformation, and faithfulness. Psalm 84 paints a beautiful picture of travelers whose hearts are set on reaching God’s dwelling place. They’re blessed, not because the road is easy, but because their strength comes from Him.
If our strength came from ourselves, we wouldn’t make it very far. Life brings challenges: dry seasons, steep climbs, unexpected detours. If we’re depending only on our own energy, it’s easy to get weary and discouraged.
But when our strength is in God, the journey changes. We’re not walking alone. We’re empowered by His Spirit. We’re supported by His promises. We have a clear destination, and the blessing is not just at the end, but along the way.
A heart set on pilgrimage is a heart that knows this world is not our home. We’re pressing on toward something greater, and toward Someone greater.
If today finds you tired or uncertain, remember this: the strength you need isn’t something you have to muster up. It’s something God freely gives. Lean into Him. Set your heart on the journey. He’ll be faithful every step of the way.
My Thoughts
The first thing that came to my mind as I read this devotional from today’s YouVersion was John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress.” I taught about that book for several years when I taught in a Christian school. And every year, the students offered new insight that they had gotten from this wondrous novel. When I read it for about the fifth time, I really understood for the first time that life on earth is a pilgrimage for all of us. There are hard times, high mountains to climb, dry places to go across and roaring rivers to ford as we face obstacles to our goal of reaching our eternal destination victoriously. But the verse for today in Psalm 84:5 encourages each of us that we don’t have to struggle in this journey on our own. We can depend on the strength that can only come from God and know that He is with us, encouraging us and bolstering us up for each day’s new challenges. A poem I memorized in high school has the same kind of theme. “And miles to go before I sleep.” (Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening) May you, my faithful readers, experience the closeness of God as you make your daily journey closer and closer to the time when you can rest.
Our Worth
Just a little food for thought today. In the world, people generally judge others by their homes, their cars and their bank accounts. Jesus doesn’t look at our possessions; He cares about our hearts.
Whose Garden Is It?
My husband works hard on our garden. He has planted all kinds of beautiful flowers just outside the window next to my chair. Roses are my favorites so there are plenty of those. But he also has sunflowers, irises (for our granddaughter Iris), purple asters (for my best friend Heidi whose birth month was September and these were her favorites) and a variety of wildflowers. In the vegetable garden Harry has planted tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and potatoes. Just this week, he planted several kinds of peas. Yes, Harry works hard in his garden. That’s why he gets a little frustrated when he goes to pick the fruits of his labor and bites are missing out of the produce. Groundhogs, deer, rabbits…they all live in our yard because like Farmer MacGregor’s nemeses in the story of Peter Rabbit, they know that our year has a bountiful supply of good things for them to eat. So, whose garden is it?
Whose Garden Is It? By Mary Ann Hoberman
This is a delightful read-aloud story for children, but we adults can have the fun of pondering the wonders of nature right along with the children. Whose garden is it?
I submit this verse to you to definitively answer the question.
The garden and all that grow there belong to God. We are the recipients of His gifts of beauty, fruits and vegetables. And so are the little creatures that share with us!
Divinely Different
Note: The idea for this blog came from a devotional entitled Jesus, Day by Day by Sharon Kaselonis (8-15-25)
All of my youth I tried to fit in. I wanted to play with the other neighborhood kids outside, ride bikes, learn how to ride a horse and run chasing each other through our yards. Unfortunately, since I was born with asthma, I was not allowed to go outside except for short spans of time in which I was to sit quietly and play jacks on the porch with friends willing to sit with me. So, I just never fit in and felt like one of the toys from a Christmas movie who live on the “island of misfit toys.”
I think the time during my youth when I always felt different is what led me to seek and search for something more in life. After college, I came to the saving knowledge of Jesus and found that finally I fit in. I was part of the body of Christ, His church, one of His people.
But then, someone told me I was supposed to be separate from the world. What?!? I had spent all of my teen years feeling separated from friends and fun, and now I have to step back from the world that I was just discovering. It has taken a lot of Bible study and patience on God’s part to show me that I am “divinely different” and that’s exactly what makes me acceptable to God and a part of a big family who also love the Lord. So, I am different in a good way, a way that keeps me safe from the temptations of the world (provided I choose to walk away) and with a whole future in eternity to look forward to. Through my relationship with Christ, I have found that being different isn’t always a bad thing. Rather, it is life-affirming and one of the best things that ever happened to me!
Look at those adjectives! Chosen, special and wonderful. These descriptive words help me to continue to walk in the light because I want to be all of these things for my Father.
Now, look at the nouns in this passage: righteousness, holiness and redemption. Jesus is all of these inside of us because of His sacrifice. It is Christ who makes the difference in my life.
On the outside, I am the same person. I still have the same physical body, but inside, I am brand, spanking new. I am a new creation because I am in Christ. I am indeed divinely different! I pray that you are, too!
Holy Is His Name!
This verse is from Mary’s song of praise when she finds out that God has chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah. She had to be a little wary of what was going to happen since she was a young girl, unmarried and with a baby on the way. God showed Himself strong on her behalf and fulfilled prophecies through her.
Fast forward several thousand years to my life. I have health problems so numerous that I get tired of going to specialists all the time. Nevertheless, God shows Himself strong and holy for me, too. Yesterday, I went to my nephrologist for my kidney labs and check up that I have to have every four to six months. (For those of you who don’t know, I was born with a single kidney and I have been diagnosed with Stage 3 kidney failure for the last few years.) The doctor checked me, talked to me and ordered the labs. I got the report this morning and the results have to be a God thing! Everything is normal…everything! My levels are better than they have been in the last five years. I have no explanation for this great report, but I do offer God praise and know that He is and always will be holy. I had expected a bad report since I had infections repeatedly in the last six months. My faith was low, but my hope was high and God showed me just what He has been doing and continues to do within this mortal body.
I hope that you will join me in rejoicing over this good news and also share with me a testimony of how God has come through unexpectedly for you. Let’s spend today lifting up the Name of the Only One who is truly worthy!
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 